BOSTON – For the second time in four games, Colgate set a record for the largest margin of victory against its opponent. This time it was at the hands of defending Patriot League champion Boston University after an 89-45 victory on Sunday night at Case Gym.
The 44-point landslide matched Colgate's season-opening 101-57 win over Army. The previous largest winning margin against Boston U. was 33 points in a 112-79 triumph in 1972.
Colgate led this one from start to finish. The Raiders raced out to a scorching-hot start, connecting on four of their first five shots.
Nelly Cummings keyed the early run with a 3-pointer from the corner and a driving layup to give the Raiders an early 10-0 advantage.
After the gap shrunk to 14-12,
Jeff Woodward found
Sam Thomson underneath for an easy two-handed slam to ignite a 12-4 Colgate spurt. Woodward and
Jack Ferguson had five points apiece during the run to push the lead back to double digits. Maynard scored seven points down the stretch and the Raiders held Boston University to just 28% from the field in the first half en route to a 36-24 lead at the break.
Burns caught fire early in the second half and set the tone for what would be a dominant final 20:00 for the Raiders. He swished three 3-pointers inside the first six minutes and then set up
Keegan Records for three easy layups on consecutive possessions to put the game out of reach.
Burns' hot start was just the beginning. Ferguson drained a couple 3-pointers and converted a three-point play during a 16-0 Raider run that pushed the lead north of 40 points. Colgate's reserves came on strong, with
David Maynard (9),
Sam Thomson (6) and
Alex Capitano (6) posting career highs in scoring and helping the Raiders pull away for the 89-45 victory.
From the Source
Head Coach Matt Langel
On the game:
"We talk a lot about how every game has its own identity. With such unusual circumstances this year, particularly this weekend and our first road trip, we really had to concentrate on ourselves and playing well. Our guys really did that this weekend. We managed tonight's game extremely well. Especially on the road, the first and last few minutes of every half are always critical. We got off to a good start tonight, finished the first half really well, and then we obviously played great at the start of the second half.
Jordan Burns was terrific during that stretch that really helped us create separation."
On carrying momentum into a four-game homestand:
"I don't sense that there is momentum from game-to-game, but rather day-to-day. Every chance that we get to be together is extremely valuable for us to maximize the team that we can be. This trip was a good step in the right direction, but now we have to get back to work and get better across the board to prepare for two games that will be totally different next weekend against Holy Cross."
Key Stats of the Game
Colgate shot 55% (32-of-58) from the field and held Boston University to 25% (15-of-60). The Raiders were 8-of-18 (44.4%) from behind the arc, while the Terriers were just 1-of-29 (3.4%).
Notes
- Colgate's 53 total points in the second half tied Saturday night's first-half production for the most in any stanza this season.
- The Raiders' +23 scoring margin this season ranks among the best in the country.
- Colgate has exceeded 50 points in a half three times already this season after doing so three times total in 2019-20.
- Jordan Burns led the Raiders in scoring for the third straight game with 17 points.
- Jack Ferguson reached double-figures with a season-high 14 points.
- 11 different players found the scoring column for the Raiders.
Up Next
Colgate is back in Hamilton for the next two weekends against Holy Cross and Bucknell. The four-game homestand starts with two games against the Crusaders Saturday and Sunday. Both tip times from Cotterell Court are scheduled for 1 p.m.
